INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Three-time Indianapolis 500 pole-winner Arie Luyendyk is searching for speed.

Luyendyk, who holds the Indy qualifying record of 236.986 mph, has found himself in the middle of the pack since practice began Sunday. He reached 224.118 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday after topping out at 225.751 Sunday.

Rookie Laurent Redon had the fastest lap of the month Tuesday at 229.08.

"We have had some small, mechanical things that kept us off the track for a while," Luyendyk said. "Then we tried things that didn't really work, but you still want to try them. I'm hoping to break into the 227s at least."

Luyendyk's return to Indy last year was his first since 1999 when he announced his retirement. It didn't last long as the two-time Indy winner returned for a 13th-place finish.

Indy is the only race Luyendyk, who won here in 1990 and 1997, still competes in, and the 48-year-old Dutchman is expected to back next year as well.

"That's kind of the plan right now," he said. "I could be back next year or I could be watching my son race. We'll see.

Arie Luyendyk Jr., 20, will compete this year in the Indy Racing League's new Infiniti Pro Series.

HERBERT'S HOPES: Johnny Herbert is an IRL rookie, but he has raced at Indy.

The former Formula One driver from England competed in the inaugural U.S. Grand Prix in 2000, where the reconfigured track, using an infield course and part of the 2½-mile oval, took traffic clockwise.

The switch to the oval doesn't worry the veteran racer.

"I don't really find it much of a problem," said Herbert, who tested an IRL car for Heritage Motorsports last summer in Kentucky, only his second time on an oval track.

"I know the walls are there, but I'm not really concerned. The biggest thing why I want to do it is just a completely different challenge than what I've ever done before. I'm very much at home at the moment."

Herbert's fast lap so far is a rather slow 218.942.

LAZZARO'S LOOKING: Rookie Anthony Lazzaro still is looking for a sponsor, but PDM Racing did find him a car he's happy with.

"I found a car that's comfortable and doesn't move around very much," he said. "I have a lot of confidence in driving it. I haven't had that so far. The guys made some changes and gave me a good comfortable car.

"The idea is by Friday, you have a car that's quick enough to qualify."

Lazzaro's fast lap Wednesday was 220.858.

The first two days of time trials for the May 27 Indianapolis 500 will be Saturday and Sunday.

Lazzaro drove the primary car for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, until the sponsor wanted Mark Dismore to replace the less experienced driver at Indy.

The switch meant Lazzaro and the team had to make immediate adjustments and haven't had much time to prepare.

"We're not going to be able to hit the ground hauling butt right away," he said. "We're going to have to get something that's decent and drivable and work on making it faster."

Lazzaro is expected to return to Schmidt's team after Indianapolis.

INJURY UPDATE: PJ Jones, the second driver to hit the new ``soft'' walls at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, will miss the 500 because of an injury he suffered in the crash during Tuesday's practice.

Jones fractured a vertebrae in his neck and will miss at least six weeks, Dr. Henry Bock, the IRL's medical director, said Wednesday after Sharp was released from Methodist Hospital.

"The new walls really helped my impact, and I probably wouldn't be in nearly as good of shape as I am right now without them," Jones said.

He was injured when his car spun into the wall in turn one, crossed the warm-up lane and hit the inside guardrail. There was heavy damage to the rear and left side of his car.

"For all that I went through, I'm not in any pain and I don't actually feel hurt," he said.

Team Menard signed Jones last month to replace Jaques Lazier, who suffered a broken back during a crash April 21 at Nazareth, Pa.

A replacement driver for Jones had not been announced but Raul Boesel was expected to be in the car on Thursday.

PIT STOPS: The last time the start of three consecutive days of track activity were delayed or canceled was in 1983. ... The traditional Indy 500 Pit Stop contest time trials were postponed until Thursday morning because of Wednesday's rain. ... Jeremy Bullock, who played Boba-Fett, and Kenny Baker, who played RD-D2 in the Star Wars movies, visited Sam Schmidt Motorsports in the garage and pits. Star Wars Celebration II was held in Indianapolis last weekend. ... Bill Spoerle, in charge of the Speedway's Hall of Fame Museum, drove Joe Dawson's 1912 winning No. 8 National around the track prior to the delayed start of practice Wednesday.

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